Shimmering Visions
by Arhani 'Hanny' Daforcena
Summary: A oneshot drabble series having everything related to Golden Dreams and Silver Illusions, not set to any timelines. Hakkai/Tenpou OC. And oh yes, Hakuryu and Gojun the Dragon-King are two separate characters here. Read if you like the other two.
1. Foresight

_While Kenren was busy barricading the door, and Konzen was still tending to Goku, Tenpou had the chance to talk to Gojun, man to man. "Ryurei would never allow you to live this down," the Dragon-King said, his thoughts naturally going to his sister, who had been in the care of Kanzeon Bosatsu until further notice, no doubt, under Li Touten's orders. The Goddess of Mercy would not keep Ryurei in high isolation for long, but he had hoped that it would last until the ordeal was over, or rather, when it was over._

_"Forgive me," Tenpou said, looking at the black rose standing in the vase on his desk. She had created a whole meadow of them, just to wait for him in the Lower Realms whenever he was called to his duties, and now, he would the source of her greatest heartbreak… He even had the audacity to take her brother as his hostage. "I could not give her the future that you demanded of me." There was only one way out from the mess that he had created, and that was through the Gate of Heaven, however, there was a great chance that none of them would survive._

_Gojun scoffed. "Nonsense," he told his subordinate. "I would not have allowed you to get close to my sister unless I knew that you would make her happy." The gaze of Ryurei and Gojun were one and the same, fiery and commanding. Tenpou smiled slightly at that realization while he puffed out a cloud of cigarette smoke. They were Dragons, after all. "And she has been happy, in her days with you, happier than I had ever seen her, since the Dragon-Wars ended."_

_The two of them were the last of the Dragons in every sense of the word. Although they had lived for a time like the Dragons of ancient tales, under the depths of the oceans, surrounded by armies of sea-creatures, pearls and their own kin, everything ended when their parents were killed in the Dragon-Wars. Gojun, only at the cusp of manhood, was called to take up their father's title as the King of the Western Oceans, now, reduced to a mere title. He was lucky that Heaven saw his talents in the military, which allowed him to progress into the high ranks of the Heavenly Armies. But his sister, his beloved sister, was not so. Feared for her power, being the Key of Life, she was reduced to a position of little importance, despite being a Dragon… It was Tenpou that brought her smile back to her. Gojun could never, ever deny that._

_"Please, if we do not make it, Gojun-sama, can you make sure that she forgets me?" Tenpou asked, no, pleaded. He did not want Ryurei to suffer because of him… It would be a cruel fate for her, if he did._

_The Dragon-King nodded. "However, I'd doubt that it would work. Ryurei is just as stubborn as you are," he told Tenpou with a slight smirk. "Just like what you told her, you would always have a place in her heart… But look at it this way, if we die here, it usually means that you would reincarnate to the Lower Realms someday. Perhaps, you'll meet again then?"_

_Tenpou looked at the black rose and chuckled. "Perhaps you're right, Gojun-sama." They would meet again, if that was the case.

* * *

_

It was an encouraging thought. Looking back, looking at his sister, now a blushing bride standing next to her groom, Cho Hakkai in Keiun Temple. How they had managed to coerce Genjyo Sanzo into presiding over their wedding was a large question that puzzled even him. But he would never forget that conversation he had with Hakkai 500 years ago, when he was still Tenpou Gensui. Perhaps, he would work as a fortune teller when he retired.


	2. Fear

"Where's Ryurei?" Hakkai asked when he had returned from gathering water for the campsite. Sanzo was smoking in a corner, while Goku and Gojyo were fighting, as usual. There was no sign of the Dragon-Princess anywhere, and not even Hakuryu knew where she was. Suddenly, there was a loud rustling sound and Ryurei fell right into Hakkai's arms, with an indescribable amount of fear written in her face. Good gods, she was breaking in cold sweat! "Ryurei, are you alright?" he asked frantically.

Pointing weakly to the branch above them, she merely whispered "Caterpillar…" before fainting then and there.


	3. Bedtime

Hakkai looked at the sleeping Goddess next to him. For many years, his soul had been searching for her, and now, he found her. In his childhood, he deemed that the only person he could ever love was the one who had a part of him. When he had met Kanan, it was as if his eyes that bore no light or life, had been awakened, but he had been so wrong. The two of them lived as lovers to the outside world, hiding the fact that they were in fact twins, separated at birth.

While he loved Kanan still, he now knew that the one who held his heart was Ryurei. A rational minded person, an intellectual like him, should never have trusted the claims of past lives, but he could see that it was even more that picking up the lost pieces of his past. Her smile, her fiery soul, and her laughter… Her sapphire eyes that told a thousand stories; that was why he loved her.

"Hakkai, you have not slept yet," she murmured, turning towards him, pulling the blankets around her. They were high in the mountains, and the winds were chilly, and thankfully, the inn's owner had provided them with fur-lined blankets. Kissing him on the nose, "Would you not be too tired tomorrow?" Even if she, Gojyo, Sanzo and Goku would sleep and sleep on their journeys, he would always be driving, and he would be the last to sleep. "You'd crash out one day, make my words."

Hakkai nuzzled against her neck, and told her that there was nothing to worry about. "We mortals are not as weak as you might think," he murmured into her hair as she spooned against him, basking in his warmth, being technically cold-blooded and all, another reason why they were sleeping nearby the fireplace. She needed external heat sources to regulate her body temperature.

She yawned, and wrapped his arms around her tighter. "Yes, yes, and my mother gave birth to me," she replied, almost sarcastically. Seconds later, she fell asleep, leaving Hakkai with another question. Did Dragons hatch from eggs?


	4. Poker

Homura had been looking at the flowers that had been scattered in wide fields outside the Palace of Heaven for many hours, and was once again absorbed into the memories of the past, when his beloved, Rinrei, was torn apart from him, cast down into the world of the mortals.

"You seem to be a lonely bastard," a woman's voice interrupted his thoughts as he sensed a tall woman with golden hair and sapphire eyes appearing beside him. With a snap of her fingers, a table was set, with wine, tea, and a deck of cards. "Come, Toushin Homura Taishi, let's play. It will take your mind off things."

The latest in the line of Toushin looked at Ryurei in shock. Never has anyone treated him so casually, without scorn, ever, much less the Dragon-Princess of the Western Oceans. "Ryurei-hime, are you sure?" he asked, still undecided on taking up her offer. It was a mere card game, but he knew that the elite of the Gods were not to be underestimated. Ryurei might only have been the Flower-Goddess, but she was still a Dragon, and Dragons were revered, even if she and her brother were the last of their race.

Ryurei looked at him and chuckled. "We are two people whose beloved are taken away from us in the cruelest manner," she told him, looking at his mismatched eyes, one blue, and the other, gold. "I think that we should help each other lick our own wounds… Those shackles are ones that you put on willingly, and although they impede your movement, you are still free to choose as you wish."

"Very well," he said, and walked to one of the chairs. "What will we be playing?"

Shuffling the cards, she smiled and said, "Poker." It was not a request, nor was it an order. Homura looked into the inviting gaze of sapphire that she held for him, and knew for an instant that this would not be the only game that they would play.

* * *

500 years later, they were still playing poker with one another, but the subjects of their conversation had changed vastly. "Ryurei, do you know that the Seitin Taisei is nearing the end of his imprisonment?" he asked her as he put in more chips into the pot.

"Yes, indeed. Goku would be very happy to taste the free air once again," she replied, raising the stakes as well. For five hundred years, they had played with one another, and for five hundred years, nothing had really changed. Ryurei was still living under the perpetual shadow of the military, while he was still the despised heretic, with the post as the Toushin Taishi. There were several times when she would descend to the mortal world, but she could never bring herself to even visit the child on Gogyou Moutain…

Homura eyed the slight change of expression in her sapphire eyes, as though the memories of the "rebellion" her brother's subordinates had caused with Son Goku and Konzen Douji had caused her much pain. So, the rumors were true that she was involved with Tenpou Gensui. "And if we gather the Seiten-Kyou and the Maten-Kyou, we can create a new World."

A new World, bound by nothing, and everything… It was a grand scheme indeed. "I will have no part of it," Ryurei said, waiting for Homura's next move. "The Tenchi Kaigen Kyoumon cannot be used for reasons such as this, or the balance of all nature will be destroyed…" She could feel it within her, trees were dying all over Togenkyo, and the land itself was changing… Something was happening right under their noses, and the same resonating feeling of darkness was gnawing at her heart.

"But there is a chance that you might see him again," Homura told her, prodding further. If the rumors were true, then he might be able to stoke her hatred for what Heaven has done. Tenpou Gensui, Kenren Taisho and Konzen Douji had died defending Heaven from Li Touten, it had been a widely-known fact after that fiasco.

"While I do not believe in leaving all to Fate, Homura, I believe in keeping what peace as much as we can," Ryurei replied with a bittersweet smile. Her sapphire eyes looked at him through the dark red hues of her wine, and she took a sip. "You would cause much chaos in your actions, and I will have no part of it."

Homura's lips tightened into a fine line, and nodded. After knowing her for so long, he both admired her spirit and her resolution. "If that is your choice, I wish you all the best," he said, pouring all his chips into the pot.

Ryurei stood up and gave him a hug. "You are a great friend, Homura," she told him, and opened his cards. He went all in, and there was no point in continuing. "But sometimes, you must know that even three Kings in the same hand, can be defeated by only two sixes." She smiled, and stood away from Homura, while conjuring a flower into his hand. It was blood red, in the shape of the flowers that Rinrei used to love. "May this remind you of the poker nights that we had, and if you see all four of them, please, give them hell for me."

"Your wish is my command," Homura replied with a slight bow. It was the last time that she ever saw the Toushin Taishi, and three years later, she personally saw him fighting Sanzo, Hakkai, Goku and Gojyo in Kanzeon Bosatsu's lotus pond. He had honored his promise, and soon, her time to join them would come.


	5. Chains

"Ryurei-hime, this way please," the door-wards said to Ryurei, who had just appeared in the square just in time for the Jade Emperor's birthday speech. Many stares were directed towards her, some malevolent, and some, wandering to places that they should not dare to, lest they faced Gojun's wrath. It could not be denied, however, that she was a vision of beauty. The silk, long-sleeved gown that she was wearing was of the softest turquoise, and was cut horizontally at her shoulders, revealing her slim neck. The bodice itself hugged her body where it needed to, and a high slit was cut at both sides of the skirt, showing the world a glimpse of her long, lean legs.

She looked at the warden and held up her hand. She would rather join the festivities with the masses. It would provide her with the chance to hide in plain sight, and perhaps, seek Tenpou out. "Please tell my brother that he does not need to worry his dragon-antlers off without me by his side," she told the warden, and sent him away to cower before Gojun.

"You have great courage to challenge the orders of the Dragon-King, do you not?" Ryurei turned around, and found Tenpou standing beside her. Her sapphire eyes brightened when he took her hand in his discreetly, and she smiled. "You look beautiful," he whispered into her ear, snaking one hand up her back, knowing that she would want more skin-to-skin contact than that, but that was all that the time had allowed, and she knew it well.

Ryurei chuckled, and asked, "And you? You were at your books again, were you not? Thank your new subordinate for me... Kenren Taisho, is it not?" Once again, she was as sharp as ever, nothing ever escaped her. "He saved me a lot of cleaning, and he deserves a bonus for that." Turning towards him, she placed her palm on his chest, toying with his necktie. With a wave of her hand, a black rose and a red chrysanthemum appeared in the space before them, and disappeared. "You would know which one is yours," she added, while he took the advantage of the presence of a tall God walking past them to steal a kiss from her lips.

"But of course," he replied, "I will make sure that Kenren gets that chrysanthemum, no problem," he replied, pulling away from her. How he longed to actually be with her in public, but he knew that it would be too dangerous for her. He did have many enemies, just by being who he was, a military genius, the Marshal that hides his rage beneath that calm smile of his. He had tricked so many, by becoming another man on the battlefield, allowing them to underestimate him… "Ryurei-hime, you are too kind indeed."

There was nothing that Ryurei could do but to force a smile at his last sentence. She knew the bevy of Gods that stood around them, and they would jump at any opportunity to make the lives of others harder than they already were. If Gods were already like that, no more could be said for the mortals of the Lower Realms. Her heart sank whenever he would address her by her title, but it was something that she had to bear. "Do not mention it, Tenpou Gensui, my brother is so strict with all of you, it is my form of compensation for your troubles."

Sharing a small bout of laughter, they could hear the sounds of two men scolding someone, a child, it seemed to be. It was Goku, and the two Gods that stood over him had bumped into him. Konzen, however, was nowhere in sight. Tenpou squeezed her hand in his and said, "Ryurei, please, go to Gojun-sama… You cannot be involved here…" She was about to protest but he already stopped one of the Gods from hitting Goku.

"You seemed to be having fun," Gojun told Ryurei when she stood next to him. "Why come here at all?" She was not listening to him, but was looking at the uproar that Goku had caused. Not only Tenpou was in it, so was Kenren Taisho as well. Not long after that, Konzen joined in, and led all of them out of the square. She was clenching her skirts in her white hands, and he put his hand over them. "Ryurei, he is only protecting you, you know this."

Ryurei nodded. "Onii-sama, when will this stranglehold end?" she asked, feeling her brother's scarlet and amber eyes falling onto her. "For how long must I wait in silence, until I can free myself from the chains that they put on me?" She wished to be free as they were, but she was bound… bound by duty, and bound by her love for her brother and Tenpou. If she were to speak out against those in the upper echelons, it would be they who would suffer on her behalf…

One day, she would be free, and when that day came, she would be with them, fighting against those that opposed them…


	6. First Meetings

_The moment Konzen swallowed that glowing pearl, he could breathe underwater, and his amethyst eyes were opened to what seemed like a new world. The Dragon-King's palace was utterly transparent, and was made of the purest crystal, while it was guarded by what seemed to be crabs and prawns. Fishes, wearing the robes of officials, were the ministers of that strange court._

_"Well, enjoy your stay," Kanzeon Bosatsu, his aunt said, putting a hand on his golden head. "And I will come back in two weeks to pick you up." She did not expect for her nephew to have a "good time" per se, but it would be the last chance for anyone to receive the fabled hospitality of the Dragons, what with their own wars going on._

_Konzen nodded, and waved her off, while the Dragon-Queen showed him to his room. She was a kindly figure, with a ready smile, turquoise hair and eyes as blue as the water around them. "Do not worry, child, you would be in good hands," she told him, showing him a bed that was made out of a giant pearl. "You must be tired; child, why don't you have a nap here, and I shall wake you when dinner is ready?"_

_Not wanting to be rude, did as he was told, and bowed as the Queen left. However, he felt another presence in his room, something long and thin, like a snake, but with wings. The strangest thing was that the creature had the same eyes as the Dragon-Queen, and swam so fast around him that he had to squint to actually see what it looked like._

_"Hey, what are you?" he asked the thing when it stopped, resting on his shoulders. The thing did not speak, or it seemed that it was incapable of speech. All the little white thing ever said was "Kyuu," a sound that was highly adorable, yet quite annoying to Konzen, as almost everything was. "What do you think you're doing, hanging on me like that?"_

_Sensing his hostility, the snake-like thing snapped at his fingers, causing him to yelp in pain. "Kyuu!" it chirped fiercely before claiming his bed as its own, flapping its wings whenever Konzen tried to move it._

_From the room's windows, Kanzeon Bosatsu could not help but laugh at her nephew's antics. "Do you think it's safe to keep the two of them together?" she asked the Dragon-Queen, while Konzen tried his best to remove what he thought was a deformed white snake from his bed._

_The Dragon-Queen chuckled and told her, "My daughter is a brave one, do not worry. Destiny writes that the two of them would be bound by one another, as great friends, if not great lovers. And I intend to see it through. Then at least, Ryurei would have someone to take care of her when Gojun cannot."

* * *

_

Looking at the images of her lotus pond, Kanzeon Bosatsu held a lotus in her hand and inhaled its scent. Down there, Ryurei was arguing with Sanzo over one issue or another, while Goku and Gojyo were betting who would win…

"They'll never stop going at another, will they not?" Jiroshin asked her with a sigh.

"But of course," she replied. "Things that do not change are boring, yet sometimes, if they change, your heart would feel empty…" Just like the two of them. The bonds of the soul are stronger than the bonds of the heart, it always was like that. And that, never changed, and would never be boring.


	7. Stars

"Who was she?" Ryurei asked Hakkai one night, caressing the area on his abdomen where his scar would be, while the others were fast asleep (they were all crammed into a medium-sized room with five mattresses). She knew that he had committed mass murder, and because of his rage and dark hatred, he was turned into a Youkai, to live as one of those thousand lives that he had slain, but she did not know that it was because of a woman. Hakkai was the reincarnation of Tenpou, and she remembered that dark streak in him that he had hidden within his calm demeanor, and it was still there.

Hakkai looked into her sapphire eyes and said, "She was my lover, and my sister." Ryurei listened on as he told her of his past, but she did not appear to be revolted at all, only sipping on her wine, holding his hand when it got too painful for him to continue. So far, only Gojyo knew of it, and to tell it to her, it took a great amount of courage, and she knew it. He wanted to have nothing to hide from her, for he knew how much she had suffered in his name.

Taking the black rose from her hair, Ryurei let the ball of light float around it, and land on her palm. In a flash of light, Kanan's image appeared before their eyes. "If she was your twin, there would be little to imagine how she would look like, a beauty indeed," she said. Judging by Hakkai's expression, she knew that she must have got it right. She knew how it felt, to have those that she loved taken away right before her eyes. During the Dragon-Wars, her mother and father were killed right before her eyes. While Gojun had avenged their deaths then and there, nothing could ever bring them back… "She is watching you from the stars," she told him. "Just like my parents are."

"Ryurei," Hakkai murmured with one arm wrapped around her shoulder. Always so supportive, her heart was one of gold. Breaking into a smile as he did, she huddled closer to him, and rested her head on his chest. Within seconds, she was fast asleep, and there was nothing for him to do but join her. But just before sleep took him, he kissed her on the temple, and looked out the window. Ryurei was right; he could have sworn that one of the stars winked at him.


	8. Gifts

Goku was wandering about the Palace of Heaven when he saw a woman in a vast garden, busily moving pots from one place to another. She was humming a song to herself, and once she had the pots all lined up in neat rows, she waved her hands, and white flowers appeared in each and every one of them. "Eh, Onee-san, what are you doing?" he asked her, standing beside her.

The woman turned to him and smiled, "Well, I'm figuring out the colors for a new lily that was on my mind," she said, smoothing back a lock of hair behind her ears. This child, he must be the one living under Konzen's wing, the one born of the energies of Heaven and Earth, there was no mistake about it. "Would you like to help me?"

Goku needed no more encouragement, jumping into the task right away. He never had more fun, choosing the colors for flowers that he had never seen before. It was just like coloring a black and white drawing, only that the drawing was a real, loving flower. After a long while, they had come to the final agreement that the lily was to be yellow with red dots all over it. "Ne, Onee-san, can I give it to Konzen?" he asked, holding up one of the lilies in the pot.

Happily, the child cut the stalk carefully with her guidance and started to walk back to Kanzeon Bosatsu's residence, where he lived with Konzen. "Be sure to say 'hi' to him for me," the woman told him, petting him on the head.

"I will, Onee-san!" Goku replied. He turned towards his destination, but stopped abruptly and turned back to her. "Onee-san, my name is Goku, what's yours?"

Chuckling, the woman replied, "Ryurei, but you can call me 'Ryurei-nee', Nataku Taishi does so as well."

"Thanks a lot, Ryurei-nee!" Goku exclaimed, waving her goodbye. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

Who ever knew that the word "soon" meant 500 years later?


	9. Fire Rated M

HAN: Warning, this chapter is a short lemon, and if you are under 18, please wait until tomorrow for an update, or if you cannot tolerate sexual depictions. And if you read this, please tell me about the... technical aspects of it, because I hardly write lemons, and I plan to develop in this area, hehehehehe. ^.^

* * *

Tenpou held Ryurei in his arms, placing searing kisses all over her neck and shoulders bared by her gowns as she sat on the edge of his desk. "Take me," she said to him, thrusting the dagger that he had given her into the wooden desk, she wrapped her arms around him, burying her head in his embrace. Immediately, his body reacted to her words, sending them to where they were right now. Gojun had threatened to kill him should he ever compromise her honor, but it seemed to be a non-issue now. What mattered was that they would have no other chance for such an opportunity, that they would never be together after that day…

Already panting, the Dragon-Princess quickly slipped off his white lab-coat, short of tearing it off with her claw-like fingernails before running her fingers through his hair, a fire growing deep within her. His large, calloused hands were already racing up her white thigh, the warmth underneath his palms feeling the silk of her cool skin… She was cold-blooded by nature, but Tenpou knew that Ryurei burnt even greater than wildfire, with how she had returned his kisses, her hands roaming all over his well-sculpted body with curiosity.

"Ryurei," he murmured, moving to nibble on her earlobe, feeling her arms around his neck, the many times of they were forced to stop raging within him, ready to snap at any moment. Every single touch drove him closer to the edge, and he needed every inch of self-control not to have her then and there. Their tongues met and danced between their mouths in a manner fueled with heat, and soon, she pressed her body against his, feeling the bulge in his pants brush against her inner thighs. Something spurred within her, and she began to stroke it, causing him to hiss in a shot of ecstasy. "You will be the death of me," he smiled, proceeding to lead her into his private quarters, where the bed awaited them. It seemed like a hard, daunting task, especially when the Dragon-Princess insisted that they kissed on the way there, while trying to remove as much of their clothes as possible, scattering them all over the floor and his many books.

If Tenpou had thought that Ryurei was already beautiful fully clothed, he could not find a word in a civilized tongue to even describe her when he had shed the last piece of clothing on her body, just a few steps away from his bed. Her skins was akin to marble, utterly flawless, white like the clouds, while her breasts, high and firm, were ample in size. Upon closer inspection, he realized that her porcelain complexion was not due to the fact that her skin was alike that of other females, but she too, had Dragon-scales, just that they overlapped one another so closely that they looked just like that of other Goddesses… Not that he minded, anyways. Pulling her beneath him, he started to lap his tongue onto one of her coral-hued nipples, earning a moan from her slender throat, while he cupped her other breast with his free hand, teasing the peak with his thumb and finger.

Oh, how Ryurei responded to him… Mewling and moaning, her long legs encircled his waist as she forced him to look into her sapphire eyes, misted with desire for many more earth-shattering kisses before she allowed him to his ministrations. Thus, he planted a trail of light kisses from her breasts to her flat abdomen, taut and sculpted from her training, before coming to the apex of her thighs. Her scent of roses filled his nostrils, and he heard her growl his name when he parted her nether lips to gently suck on her jewel, slowly inserting a finger into her warm depths seconds later. He knew that she was close, her walls of her womanhood clamping onto his finger like there was no tomorrow… A few more thrusts of his finger, and she came undone, white filling her peripheral vision, arching into him, but he was not done with her.

Lapping up the honey of her passion like a hungry wolf before a cool spring, Tenpou did not give her any chance to recover from her orgasm. Desire had fully taken him, and he wanted her more than ever. After aiding her to remove his own clothes, he kissed her hungrily and guided her hand to his erect manhood, igniting more curiosity on her part. She had not felt anything like it before, and gasped the moment her fingers came to contact with his flesh. As the seconds passed, she got bolder, and started to stroke the entirety of his length with her enclosed palm. "This is what you do to me, Ryurei," he whispered to her, his voice seductively husky as he guided her hand, showing her how he wanted her to touch him.

Ryurei blushed, but she did not look away. With the same boldness, she lowered her head and started to lick his manhood, letting instinct kick in. The effect was instantaneous, and soon, she had the Field Marshal of the Western Heavenly Army writhing in pleasure before her. "We shall have to come up with a solution then," she said, kissing the head before licking it once more. His taste was something that she could not describe, but one that she could attribute to him within seconds, and she wanted more of it.

However, Tenpou stopped her before she could continue, resulting in a whimper on her part. Slowly coaxing her into his arms, he kissed her forehead, and lined himself before her still-wet womanhood. "Ryurei, this will hurt for a moment," he told her, and she just kissed him to show her understanding. He did not wish to see her suffer, but if they were to continue, it was pain that she had to endure. When he engulfed himself within her, she had cried his name, and he readily kissed the tears of pain that had formed away, but that moment quickly passed, and soon, they were once again devoured by fire.

She clung to him tightly, anchoring herself onto him, as though he was her grip to the reality against the utter ecstasy she was feeling. For one moment there, she could not understand why Gojun had tried to guard her against such a pleasurable act… Sentience and intellect soon escaped them, replaced by only passion, desire and instinct, the culmination of sweat-riddled bodies and entangled sheets of silk. No longer were they Tenpou Gensui, the star of the Western Army, and Ryurei, the Dragon-Princess of the Western Oceans, but a man and a woman, consummating their love.

"I love you," Ryurei heard his voice after they rode out their own orgasms, rocking their bodies in perfect unison, she reaching the peak before he did, but she was too hazed and too tired to reply. Pulling out of her, Tenpou quickly gathered her into his arms, finding her already asleep. Looking out the window, he found that the golden sun had not set yet, and judging by the wicked smile on her flawless face, there would be several more encounters for the remainder of the night. And there he slept, with the woman he loved safely beside him, until she woke him with a frenzy of impassioned kisses a few hours later.

Yes, there would definitely be more of it, in the future as well. Although he knew that his death was imminent, he would find a way to return to her, the beauty that claimed his heart with just a smile.


	10. Observations

_Nataku was an observer. He observed the adults around him, and hated them. Everything about them tells him of their motives, and how they would use him. He swore that he would never grow up to be like them, ever. He hates them. Even in a party like this, where no one looks at him and expects him to kill in their name, where everyone laughs and talks, he still hates them when they look at him._

_Everyone, except one, of course… Ryurei, the Dragon-Princess, Gojun's sister, gives him flowers whenever he goes down to the Lower Realms, even in the presence of Li Touten, his father. Her sapphire eyes spoke to him with kindness and he quickly befriended her. She knows that he loves the red carnations most, and so, she gives him some every time they meet._

_He does not know it, but many fear her as much as they fear him. The Key of Life, she was also known as, blessed with an untold and unseen amount of power, she was ordered never to join the Heavenly Army, despite her heritage as a Dragon of the Western Oceans, as its Princess. Given the task to care for the flowers of Heaven and Earth, she seemed to be content with her position. But Nataku always knew that Ryurei-nee would smile the brightest of smiles, and that night was no different._

_There she stood, in bejeweled gowns of silk. She was talking to one of the military officers, holding a glass of red wine as she usually did, and Nataku realized the presence of another that made her head turn: A tall man with shoulder length hair and emerald eyes hidden behind his glasses. The Toushin Taishi knows this man to be Tenpou Gensui, Gojun's subordinate. They share a glance, and soon, Ryurei walked away from the officer she had been talking to, bowing before she took her leave._

_Nataku's golden eyes followed the two of them to a secluded corner of the hall. And that was where he found Ryurei's smile to be more radiant than ever. The man holds her in his arms, and for a moment there, Nataku almost summoned his broadsword into his hands, until he saw her embrace him in return. Funny, he would never even guess that they would know each other that… intimately. Would that mean that Tenpou Gensui and Ryurei were a couple?  
_

_They whisper quietly, never leaving one another. Nataku knows that Gojun saw them, but the Dragon-King pretended to have not done so, and thus, he did the same. Heh, it would be a good tool to blackmail Ryurei-nee the next time he saw her.

* * *

_

"Good luck," Ryurei said to the young Toushin Taishi the morning he was to depart to the Lower Realms to subdue Gyumaoh, the Youkai with powers so great that only the Heavenly Armies could stop him. She knew his wife, Rasetsunyo, and his son, Kougaiji, and she knew that they would be only innocent victims of his evil, but she did not say a word. It was not her place to, or so it was decreed. Smiling, she gave him the customary red carnation and hugged him. In her gardens, Nataku did not need to act like an adult, there; he could remain a child that he was.

Nataku took the carnation and thanked her. "Don't worry, I'll make it alive so I can play with the new kid, and make sure that your boyfriend Tenpou Gensui does not bully you," he told Ryurei, grinning widely. What was a Youkai going to do to him? He may be the "killing puppet" of Heaven, but still, he had the power to earn that disgusting name, and he was not ready to lose to some upstart human-eating Youkai yet. There were still things he had to do, more important things.

Ryurei's eyes widened. "Nataku, do not spread word of that to anyone," she told him in a hushed voice. "Keep it to only yourself. Tenpou is a brilliant man, but I fear for him. Even if he keeps a low profile, he still has many enemies." Her voice was stern this time, and Nataku at once knew that she was serious. She was never like that to him, not even when he played the worst pranks on everyone. Taking his silence as understanding, she smiled and said, "Thank you for understanding, child."

But he did not. Scratching his head, he asked, "But, if he's really your boyfriend, then why do you have to be afraid of his enemies, Ryurei-nee? He can fight, and so can you!" Oh yes, there were many times when they would sneak out from the Palace of Heaven where they would spar with one another underneath green trees. He knew that she was an accomplished fighter, and he had never clearly won a match against her yet.

Chuckling, Ryurei did not speak any further of the matter. "You will know when you are older, Nataku," she told him, hugging him once more. "Now, run along, your armies wait for you, Toushin Nataku Taishi." Nataku looked up at her, and found her usual smile. He did not know that it was forced. He was still a child, after all.

Still a child, and yet, forced to bear a fate what strong adults could not… She had come from a line of Toushin Taishi, and now, this child was bearing the same burden as her ancestors had borne. He leaves her garden, and looks back, smiling. "I'll see you when I get back!" he exclaimed, waving her good-bye, not knowing what fate was before him.

If all of them could have seen what was to pass, perhaps, their choices would have been different.


	11. Moonlight

Ryurei was alone, alone in the night. Sitting on the rooftop in the small mansion that she had shared with her brother in the Palace of Heaven, she looked at the Moon. It was full that night, and she knew that the lights of the roses in Black Rose Meadow would be dancing… She used to dance there, with the one she loved, but it seemed so long ago, almost an eternity ago.

However, her reminiscent memories were interrupted by a white-robed man who appeared beside her, out of nowhere. "I thank you for your flattery, Ryurei-hime, but don't you have another man to look at with such beautiful blue eyes?" he said to her, with a cigarette in his hand. Who was he, and how did he know her name? More importantly, how did he know what she was thinking about? Usually, her first instinct would be to grab her katana and try to impale him upon the blade of the cold, carbonated steel, but there was something about him that stayed her hand.

Looking towards the Moon, she had the shock of her life. It was nowhere to be found, and yet, there were no clouds to hide it… "Are you the Moon?" she asked the man, he who had dark gold hair and clear, grey eyes that depicted the color of twilight. There were many mysteries in the World, and in Heaven, and no doubt that his presence would be one of them.

"Would you like me to be something else?" he asked in reply, smiling peacefully. This man, he reeked of power, and it came not from being the Moon. She knew that power, and she knew it well. Whatever came from that man, she had felt it within her, resonating inside her body, calling out her name to use it… His fatherly smile, and his voice, it calmed her, somehow.

"You were a Sanzo priest," she told him, her hand now leaving her katana, sapphire eyes piercing his grey orbs. "You once held the Seiten-Kyou and the Maten-Kyou…" She could only tell that much of him, and no more. Surprisingly, he held his hand to her cheek, caressing her lips softly with his thumb. Once again, she threatened to kill him by reaching for her weapon, her eyes already alight with a cold, murderous light.

Whatever he was, the man just continued to smile. "So beautiful," he murmured, "Yet so sad… Your eyes are those meant for war, not this useless melancholic drama." Those words spoke the very words that her heart had wished to shout for many, many centuries, and she knew that it was what she should have done. "Do not worry, your chance will come soon, enough, dear one." Strangely, she allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace, something that she had not done ever since that fateful day… His lips even had the audacity to touch hers, in all but a chaste kiss. From that kiss, she saw many things, a dying land, hell upon the living world, and four souls in particular, four beings that she knew from the very core of her being. Konzen, Tenpou, Goku and Kenren, each of them, living new lives in Tougenkyo...

Various images flowed into her mind and exited quietly, and the man slowly pulled away. "I will be watching you, my dear Ryurei," he told her, kissing her on the forehead. A fatherly kiss, this time, although she had clearly seen many more full moons than he was the Moon. He smiled, and as soon as he had come, he disappeared.

The Moon was back on its throne amongst the stars, but the man's presence was even nearer to her than before…


	12. Lakes

"Sorry, but we don't accept credit cards," those words rained upon Sanzo, Hakkai, Ryurei, Goku and Gojyo like the Apocalypse. Usually, they would use the gold card issued to them by the Sanbutsushin, and even the platinum card that Ryurei had nicked from Gojun, but this… was not a good situation to be in. Not at after that little drinking game that Ryurei had staged with Gojyo (who lost oh so bitterly).

Ever the calm one, Hakkai chuckled sheepishly. "Well, there has to be a way we can pay for our food and board," he concluded, and the owner of the inn pointed them immediately to the kitchens. However, something caught Ryurei's eye. It was a harp, an old one, but still playable. "Ryurei?"

The Goddess had an idea, a very, very good idea. Without speaking another word, she started to play and the owner decided to let her perform that night to pay off their debts.

* * *

She sang of a lake, filled with mist in the rain, a lake that she had seen before, in a forgotten time. Mists would form when it rained, and a silken umbrella standing by a broken stone bridge, while a boat floated away...

And the most curious thing was that as she sang, images appeared in the eyes of those who had heard of her song, and they saw the moon mirrored in three pools, the images in a perfect triangle, while in another part of the lake, poets sat together, drinking as they challenged one another to complete their verses; bridges linking the various man-made islands on the lake, of bamboo groves, and the stars glittering in the water's reflection; white wings of majestic storks flying towards the sun.

The tale of a mother, torn from her sun, the tale of the general who died for his country, everything having to do with the lake, Ryurei included in her song, sang though her melodious voice. But more importantly, she sang of a love, parted by Destiny, reunited by Fate, formed and founded upon the lake's green waters.

When the song ended, there was applause, and Ryurei bowed. The owner was so happy with her performance that he wanted her to stay, but she declined. The Goddess of Flowers had a better gift in mind. Instead of showing them mere images of the lake, she would give it to them.

Under the light of the stars, Ryurei crept into the open fields and sang once more. Immediately, a lake appeared, a smaller version of the grand lake that she had sang of, and out of habit, she caused flowers to grow, from the fragrant osmanthus, to lotuses, peach blossoms and plum blossoms. And as always, the flowers were all black, just like the destroyed roses of Black Rose Meadow. The power of the Uten-Kyou, perfectly under her control...

Looking at the balls of starlight that floated from the various flowers, dancing under the light of the full moon, she smiled. Her work there was done.

* * *

When the Sanzo-ikkou left that morning heading east, the villagers started to gather in the western reaches of the village, and found the landscape greatly changed. The lake that filled the visions of the night previous appeared right before their eyes… There was no mistake of it, they had been touched by the grace of a Goddess.

And every time it rained in the lake, they could hear a voice, singing:

雨还在下，落满一湖烟

断桥绢伞，黑白了思念

谁在船上，写我的从前

一笔誓言，满纸离散

雨～～～ 站在湖边

雨～～～ 遥望北岸

雨还在下，落满一湖烟

断桥绢伞，黑白了思念

谁在船上，写我的从前

一笔蝴蝶，满纸离散

我的告别，从没有间断

西子湖上，一遍一遍

白色翅膀，分飞了流年

长叹一声，天上人间

雨还在下，淋湿千年

湖水连天，黑白了相见

谁在船上，写我从前

一说人间，再说江山

* * *

HAN: I was inspired by Kitaro's Impressions of the West Lake, and I love it. The lyrics are in Chinese, but I have a youtube video that has the translations in English (http : / www .youtube .com / watch ? v = tRsMX_LaPo4) just paste it into the URL bar without the spaces. The song that Ryurei sings is sang by Jane Zhang, and the video says it all, actually. To get what the West Lake is about, search "West Lake" in Wikipedia. If you ever go to China, please visit the West Lake in Hangzhou, its really, really worth it. ^.^


	13. Brother

Tenpou was right, Kanzeon Bosatsu could not hold Ryurei for long, even with the enchantments placed onto the doors that held her in. With all due speed, she took her katana in her hands, and she ran towards the Imperial Palace, where her brother, Tenpou, Konzen, Goku and Kenren would be, or at least, she hoped they would be.

"Ryurei-hime, please, do not come any closer, it is too dangerous!" the soldiers told her, but she paid them no heed. "Ryurei-hime, you cannot enter, by order of Li Touten-sama!"

Her sapphire eyes were filled with a cold light and the soldiers were flung backwards. "I will kill all those who stop me!" she shouted, raising her unsheathed katana. After interrogating a few commanding officers, she quickly descended to the lower levels, where she found her brother hanging onto a rope with dear life. Quickly, she lifted him up with the use of her powers, and laid him flat on the floor as she inspected his injuries.

"Ryurei, what are you doing here?" Gojun asked when he found himself at his sister's feet. Pain… he only felt pain throughout his body, and she said not a word. Gojun knew what was going through her mind, and with his remaining eye, he could see that she was trying to hold back an untold number of tears. "Don't worry, I'll be fine," he told her, holding a hand to her cheek.

She held her hand above his body as he laid there, sprawled across her lap. Gold light came from the palms of her hands, and he was wrapped in vines that glowed in many colors. Slowly, he could feel his wounds healing, and not only that, his vision returned to normal, as though his eye had been replaced… How could he have forgotten that Ryurei was the Key of Life, blessed with great powers unknown to all? "Onii-sama, are you alright?" she asked him when he was fully healed. Nodding, Gojun immediately hugged his sister. "I was so scared, Onii-sama…" she said, and he could feel drops of moisture seeping onto his scaled body from the fabric of his dark uniform. She was crying, knowing that her brother was the only survivor of the "rebellion" as Li Touten had described it.

Gojun held her close to him, stroking her long, golden hair, reassuring that he was there for her. "I am here, Ryurei, I will protect you," he told her. He had always protected her, in the best manner he knew how. The two of them were orphaned too young, and for the briefest moment, they thought that she had found a man that could truly ensure her happiness, when he could only ensure her well-being. "Come, we must not remain here for long, it is too dangerous."

Ryurei seemed to have wanted to protest, but she did not. Picking up their weapons, she supported her brother as they walked back up to the surface, where the other military leaders were waiting for them, but they paid them no heed.

They passed the gardens that she had lined with sakura trees, and all of them were bare… Her prophecies had come true, that Heaven would be in chaos when all of the flowers would fall onto the ground. Heaven would literally become a hell-hole, ironic as it was, but the dark deeds of Li Touten would be exposed, and in the absence of a legitimate ruler, a Council was formed. But it mattered little to Ryurei. Once again, she had lost those that she had come to love, Tenpou, most of all, but Nataku, Goku and Konzen as well… She might not have known Kenren intimately, but if given the chance, they could have been the best of companions, especially since they both loved to drink and gamble.

However, when the sakura fell, nothing said that they would not bloom again. There came a day, when Ryurei was sipping her wine in the boughs of the sakura tree while Gojun read some military reports, they saw buds beginning to develop. One day, peace would return…

The Dragon-King looked up at his sister. "You must bring more brothers and sisters, little one," he heard her say to the bud nearest to her. She was smiling, the first time, in a long, long while. "Perhaps one day, we'll see you all in full bloom again, and we would all be together..."


	14. Dragons

"Ryurei, where are you?" the Dragon-Queen shouted for her daughter, finding the child standing beside her, with a katana ready in her hands. "Child, you must escape with your brother, now!" The Dragons of the Eastern Ocean had attacked their palace, and most of it already was destroyed… It would be their last stand, and she was prepared to mark a fantastic end to the wars that claimed most of their people.

Ryurei heard her mother's words, but she did not wish to leave the Dragon-Queen's side. "I will fight beside you and Otou-sama like Onii-sama!" she exclaimed, slashing one of the enemy's prawn-soldiers in the abdomen. Still a child, but already she had more courage than adults three times her age, the Queen knew that her daughter would be just like her brother and her father, a warrior to the very core. However, this was not her stand to make.

The Dragon-Queen knelt beside her daughter and caressed her small face. "No, Ryurei, you must live," she told the child. "If you die here, you can change nothing, but if you live, you can change the course of the world… Please, do as I say, Gojun cannot wait for you any longer." With her double-blades in her hands, she hugged her daughter when her son appeared to bring her to safety… "Gojun, take care of your sister," she told Gojun, who nodded urgently.

"Don't worry," their father, the Dragon-King said to them. "If things turn out well, we'll meet you all in Heaven," he flashed his usual, casual smile, vainly reassuring them. "Ryurei, then the four of us shall spar from dawn till dusk, alright?"

But that promise could not even be made… When the Dragon-King had spoken, the Dragon-King of the Eastern Oceans stormed into their family's quarters and killed every single guard that defending the royal family. "So, this is the end of the Toushin Taishi, the Dragon-King of the Western Oceans," he taunted, "With his wife and children, cowering in fear…"

Fear was not something shown in the likes of the Western Dragons, and immediately, the King and Queen charged towards their enemy, locking him in a deadly dance of weapons and death. But courage alone could not defeat an enemy that plagued the Four Oceans of the World…

Gojun and Ryurei watched as their parents were killed before their eyes, falling, not because of their lack of skill, or courage, but because the only things in their mind, were to protect their young children. Gojun was still hardly considered to be a man, while Ryurei had only just gained her transformation for a few decades, a mere youngling at the most…

Taking up his father's sword, Gojun dashed towards the Eastern Dragon in a fit of rage, and made short work of the enemy, by slicing him vertically in half, staining the water around them red, before running back to Ryurei, who was already crying. He, Gojun of the Western Oceans, did not. At the death of their father, he was now the Dragon-King, and kings did not weep. He would honor his promise to his parents, and he would protect Ryurei with his life, even if it meant that he would lose his own life…

But Ryurei... Ryurei looked over the carnage and she swore to never let anything happen like this, ever again. She would become stronger, and more powerful, and she would be ready to fight for those that she had loved... She would rise from the ashes of her home, and one day, she would so to the World, and to the Heavens just who she was: Ryurei, the Dragon-Princess of the Western Oceans.


	15. Youngling

Gojun did not understand the situation, really. There he was, at the school were Hakuryu pursuing his studies (baby-sitting while Ryurei, Gojyo and Hakkai were away on a mission for Sanzo, as dubious as it sounded) after he was suddenly called there to explain why the child was holding a weapon of unexplained origins during third-period math class. Clearly, Dragon-children would have started to be able to summon weapons into their hands at that age, and he did not understand why it was such a big issue.

Heck, he did not even understand why Ryurei and Hakkai would wish for him to enter a schooling system when they could have hired a tutor for him, as they had received when they were growing up. The boy was a Dragon, and he did not need to be burdened with God-mortal relationships, because by the time he was fully grown, the grandchildren of his classmates would already be grandparents themselves. Why would they want to put such emotional trauma on a child, he could never, never agree to, or comprehend.

"So, you expect me to believe you that Hakuryu is considered a God, and his behavior was normal?" the discipline master of the school demanded, her lips closed tightly into a fine line. The mortal did not know whom she was dealing with, and she could be forgiven, depending on Gojun's mood. However, the people of Chang'an were familiar with the Gods, as the Sanbutsushin were based there. Even the town idiot knows that those who are Gods, or have rank and power close to them have chakras on their forehead, and so, Gojun removed the limiter that Ryurei had given him, in the form of his head-band, and gave the teacher the shock of her life.

The sight of Youkai were common, but Gojun, apart from looking like the average Youkai male, had dragon-antlers growing out of his head, fangs, and scales on his jaw-line, and if that was not enough, his cornea was completely red, completing the look with gold irises, and the customary chakra on his forehead. The woman immediately went on all fours, apologizing to him, groveling, more like.

* * *

"Tell me again, how it worked, Gojun-nii," Hakuryu said, looking at the written notice that he had just received from the discipline master who was shaking non-stop after her meeting with Gojun. "You basically told them that we're Dragons and whatnot, and she bought it?"

Quickly replacing his head-band, the Dragon-King nodded. "Yes, and I want you to promise me that Ryurei does not take any notice of what happened with your teacher," he told the younger Dragon. "I don't want her storming up there after my blood." An angry Ryurei was a Ryurei that even the most powerful of the Gods would want to avoid. "And you need to get those papers signed when she gets back."

The teenager grunted. Gone were the days when he could just "Kyuu" innocently and all would be forgiven, but he rather not take chances like that with Gojun around. Moving into his next class after seeing his "brother" off, the child did not see the proud smile on Gojun's face. Indeed, he was growing into a fine, young Dragon that would make their ancestors proud, and knowing that he and Ryurei were not truly the last of their kind gave them hope. If a child like Hakuryu could have been hatched far away from the rookeries and other Dragons, long after the Dragon-Wars had passed; there could be many more others like him…


	16. Conversations

"So, what is it that you want to talk to me about?" Ryurei asked Sanzo, laying down on a branch in the peach tree in Keiun Temple while Hakkai was tutoring Goku and Hakuryu in chemistry. It had been several years since they had returned to Tenjiku, and life could be described as… peaceful at best.

Sanzo did not look at the Goddess, but he did notice her golden hair falling just inches beside him. It seemed like she could tell whatever he was going to do, even before he actually had the intention to do it. It was unnerving at first, but he got used to it. "It is about you Gods up there," he told her, puffing out some cigarette smoke. The autumn sky was really, really beautiful that time of day. Feh, why did Komyou Sanzo had to be right about everything? "Why did Homura call me 'Konzen'?"

Ryurei chuckled. It must have taken him all these years to actually acknowledge why he wanted to get an answer to that question in the first place. "Aren't you a stubborn asshole?" she asked in return, gathering her hair up and tying it into a high ponytail. "Well, you were a God, basically. Kanzeon Bosatsu's nephew, and a rather high-ranking aristocrat at that."

"So everything that I saw, was real?" When he had been recuperating from his wounds inflicted by Homura, he had visions or rather, dreams of his former life, and since she came, they had been more of them, each more real than the next. And the more important thing was, that Hakkai had them as well, there was no doubt about it. He would not have hooked up with Ryurei so quickly if he didn't… Hakkai had loved her now as greatly as he had 500 years ago.

"Well, o Sanzo Houshi-sama, why would you ask me this, if you already know the answer to your own question?" Ryurei replied. All she remembered of their first meeting was that she was sleeping in the empty room in the palace and suddenly he came in with her mother, disturbing her nap. Of course she would try to drive him off. Looking back, it really was something more than to educate him of how Dragons lived under the sea, one way or another… The bonds of the soul are greater than the bonds of the heart... Those words were taught to her by Kanzeon Bosatsu, and there was not a moment when they were proved wrong. "The past is history now, Sanzo. Konzen or Genjyo Sanzo, you are still you."

This time, she really could shut him up, and she shut him up good. "Hmph," he scoffed. "Suit yourself…" In truth, Sanzo was rather relieved. Ryurei's presence somehow made everything fall into place, like the clear sky, blue clouds, and the cigarette in his hand among the falling, dead leaves. He would have it in any other way.


	17. Reunion

Sanzo really did not expect Hell to have such a soft bed beneath him. As one of the highest ranking priests in Togenkyo, he had been used to the finer things in life, but this… was downright luxury. Well, he did save Togenkyo's ass once or twice, with the help of several murderous idiots and a Goddess… But this, was no sign of preferential treatment.

"Oi, Ahou, time to wake up, you lazy asshole," that voice was definitely Ryurei's, harsh in quality, yet musical in tonality. She was no lady at all when it came to men that she was familiar with, except Hakkai that is. 500 years of history was deeply set in his mind, and his first reaction was to hit her with his harisen, but none appeared anywhere… So, he really was not in Togenkyo anymore… He really died and had gone to wherever she and Hakkai were after they were dead too.

Grunting, Sanzo glared at the woman. "Ahou, what do you want?" he asked her, the words coming out almost naturally. Damn, he hated here during moments like that. Hakkai, who was standing beside Ryurei could only laugh at the interaction between them both. He had always said before that the two of them looked more like husband and wife than Ryurei and him, due to the fact that they argued so much, and this would be one of those moments. "So, if the two of you are restored to the prime of youth, I would guess that this is Heaven… They actually came up with a way to torture me for all eternity. Hellfire would be an easier fate."

Hakkai chuckled. "Actually, that _would_ be an easier fate," the emerald eyed man replied, his hand resting on Ryurei's shoulder. His wife and Sanzo were still having their glaring match, and he decided to break them apart before they would kill one another. "But thanks to Kanzeon Bosatsu, she managed to have us all be reincarnated back into Heaven, stating that she preferred 'live entertainment'."

No matter who she was, aunt in one life, and utter superior in the other, Kanzeon Bosatsu still scared the hell out of Sanzo. Perhaps it was the fact that she was immensely powerful, or the fact that she knew almost everything… But on second thought, it could be the simple notion that the Goddess of Mercy could be watching their every move, every single second. It… unnerved him. And now, he had to live her in her palace… Yeesh, hellfire would be a better fate, most definitely.

"Well, you're stuck with us, Sanzo," Ryurei added smugly, snapping her fingers. That would be her way of summoning things, if Sanzo had not forgotten. Truly enough, wine glasses appeared in his, her and Hakkai's hands, filled with red wine. "And now, a toast, to your eternal suffering, my friend."

For the first time, Sanzo actually smiled, and subjected to her toast. Heck, if this was Hell, then he would not mind spending it with them… All of them. Well, that was what he thought, until Gojyo came into the room.


	18. Anniversary

"Hakkai, where are you taking me?" Ryurei asked when Hakkai tied a blindfold around her sapphire eyes. He took her hand in his, and led her from the apartment that they had shared with Gojyo and Hakuryu. Her heart could not stop beating with anticipation… Where could he bring her so deep into the night? She had just returned from the Community Center, and only had time to discard her katana onto its stand.

She could only hear his chuckle, and she knew that it meant little. He would not reveal anything to her, nor could she force it from him. "Patience, Ryurei," he told her, and continued to lead her on. They still lived in the outer fringe of Chang'an city, although they had already moved into a bigger house, the forest that they were so familiar with was still near. They were moving to the clearing where only they knew of, where they would spend many nights watching the stars…

Mortals were so simple… She was the Flower Goddess, she could hear the voices of the trees and the leaves, the flowers and their petals… She needed only ask them, and they would tell her what she wanted to know. _Mistress, he really toiled the whole day, we cannot give the surprise away_, they whispered to her, in each their own voices. Damn, even her creations were going against her.

Mere minutes later, they stopped moving, and Hakkai kissed her on her temple, moving in close to seal her lips with his. "You sly fox," she murmured between kisses, pinning him to a nearby tree, responding to him with her own fiery ones that he craved so much. "For five hundred years, you have tried this method on me…" More kisses ensued, and she snapped her fingers, making the blindfold disappear so that she could see him properly. And there it was, that smile that told her that he had something up his sleeve. "You will not do so…"

Light spewed forth, and soon, she could see many candles being lighted by Hakuryu, who had shown mastery over the element of Fire. They were standing outside the outline the shaped of a heart, and in the center, were candles that depicted a blooming rose.

"Happy anniversary," Hakkai whispered into her ear, effectively shooing Hakuryu away with a wink. She might have learnt to see through the trick, but it would take more time for her to resist it. With those words, he scooped her into her arms, and leaned her downwards, kissing her once more under the stars.


	19. Distress

Being the Maoh was not what Kougaiji had expected. The scheming politicians and groveling scoundrels he could handle, but _this_… This gaggle of women, literally clawing over one another to gain his attentions, was one that he absolutely abhorred. And his mother and sister did nothing to help him.

"I'm the Queen Mother," Rasetsunyo told him sternly, wagging a finger at him. "It is my duty to find you a Queen, my son, and it seems that these ladies are willing to go to whatever lengths to get to you, and I say, the sooner, the better!" Oh, Kougaiji knew that she was dying to have a daughter in law soon, but, with them constantly around, he could not hear himself _think!_

At least, Dokugakuji had an idea. "Didn't Ryurei-hime give you some sort of distress signal?" he asked one day when he was almost caught in the plots of one such perilous woman trying to poison her other rivals, if not for Yaone's sharp mind. "She'd told your mother that she would come save you or something, if I remembered correctly."

"Heh, when those girls see Ryurei-sama, they'll be so frightened that you won't see their shadows!" Lirin exclaimed. Ryurei was a vicious woman to her enemies, and even to those closest to her. The young Youkai-Princess had seen her thrash Sanzo, Gojyo and Goku about too many times during the restoration works of Houtou Castle when they were all healing from their wonds.

However, Kougaiji gulped. Gods were dangerous entities to deal with, like Homura, and even if Ryurei was seemingly benevolent, there would be some form of price when she extends her help to mortals. But it was too late, Rasetsunyo had already made a deal for him. Hence, he pressed the distress signal designed into the desk of his study, and waited for a miracle to happen.

Then, a dark vortex appeared, the power of the Muten-Kyou, and out of it, stepped Ryurei, in her Toushin Taishi finery. "Congratulations, Maoh-heika," she said, before even completely exited the vortex, confusing Kougaiji, Dokugakuji and Lirin. "Wait… don't tell me that you have not proposed to Yaone yet."

"That was the part of the deal?" Kougaiji was incredulous. Now, it was Ryurei's turn to be confused. Did Rasetsunyo not tell him the terms? If he had chosen Yaone as his Queen and wife, and needed help cementing her position, he could use the distress signal to summon her to Houtou Castle.

Ryurei slapped herself on the forehead. "Well, I'll only leave three days from now, so I'll give you a second chance, Kougaiji," she told the young Maoh. "And you had better get cracking. If those fell geese discover that I am no longer the Toushin Taishi, they will surely come after my skin and yours as well. "


	20. Origins

Katana clashed, while their owners took the stalemate to take in a few, largely needed breaths. "You… are pretty good for a sergeant, Tenpou," Ryurei said, her sapphire eyes never leaving the God's eyes. He was built for war, a tall frame, leanly muscular body, and the amount of power that came from him… He was a dangerous man, and she knew that beneath his kind and calm smile, was a hot-headed soul that would ultimately unleash havoc on all those who dared to anger him. She could tell that, just by exchanging a few blows, and it intoxicated her.

Chuckling, Tenpou thanked her for the compliment. "You are not so bad yourself, Ryurei," he replied, purposely dropping the "-hime" honorific. Although it suited every single part of her, a Princess of high linage, he felt it strange to his tongue. But every single time he called her by just her name, it left a strange taste to his tongue, which made him want to do it more and more, just to savor it again. Still, she was holding her katana against his, both weapons shaking violently as they aimed to push the stalemate into victory.

"This is getting nowhere," Ryurei complained, sweat dripping off her face, and onto the golden tendrils that was her hair. "I suggest we break off at the same time."

"A viable solution," Tenpou replied with a twinkle in his eye. "But I would rather see how far this exchange can go." He started to shift more force into his katana, and Ryurei answered with the same motion, their eyes still locked in a heated gaze that could melt anything in between them.

Taking a step forward, Ryurei groaned as he pushed her back. "Sometimes, nothing good will happen if things are forced," she said. In a split second, she could feel Tenpou dropping his katana, causing her to do the same as well, as a part of a chain reaction. But what she did not expect was for him to draw her into his arms, and crush his lips against her own, kissing her hungrily. It certainly taken her by surprise, and strangely, she welcomed it. It may have been the heat of the moment that was the culprit, but Ryurei found herself wanting more and more.

Soon, the two of them became out of breath, and their kiss was broken, their faces completely red. "Forgive me," Tenpou apologized, "I should not have acted out of line." He did not know what came into him, all he knew that she was so beautiful, so seductively pleasing that he just had to kiss her, to see how she tasted, and now he knew. She tasted of roses, and of wine.

However, Ryurei wrapped her arms around his neck, and murmured, "There is nothing to forgive, Tenpou." Those words were uttered before she trapped him in fiery kisses of her own.


End file.
